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06:34
A Component-resolved Diagnostic Approach for a Study on Grass Pollen Allergens in Chinese Southerners with Allergic Rhinitis and/or Asthma
Published on: June 4, 2017
Artemisia and Ambrosia hypersensitivity: co-sensitization or co-recognition?
1Ambulatorio di Allergologia, Clinica San Carlo, Paderno Dugnano (MI), Italy. r.asero@libero.it
Summary
Patients with ragweed and mugwort allergies are often co-sensitized, meaning their immune systems react to both. This suggests co-sensitization, not cross-reactivity, is the primary cause of allergic reactions to these common weeds.
Area of Science:
- Allergen immunotherapy
- Immunology
- Environmental allergies
Background:
- Ragweed and mugwort share similar flowering seasons, leading to overlapping allergic symptoms.
- Co-existing sensitization to ragweed and mugwort presents clinical challenges for allergy treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To differentiate between co-sensitization and co-recognition of ragweed and mugwort allergens.
- To investigate the immunological basis of concurrent hypersensitivity to these pollens.
Main Methods:
- Skin prick tests (SPT) were used to assess sensitization in patients with August-September allergy symptoms.
- IgE reactivity to purified recombinant allergens from ragweed and mugwort was analyzed using dot-blot and ELISA.
- Immunoblot inhibition assays were performed to evaluate cross-reactivity.
Main Results:
- A strong association was observed between mugwort and ragweed hypersensitivity.
- In vitro, a high percentage of ragweed-allergic patients reacted to rAmb a 1, while mugwort-sensitized patients showed varied reactivity to mugwort allergens.
- Ragweed pollen extract showed minimal inhibition of IgE reactivity to mugwort allergens, suggesting distinct sensitization patterns.
Conclusions:
- Patients with positive SPT/RAST for both ragweed and mugwort are considered co-sensitized.
- Further research is needed to correlate IgE reactivity with clinical symptoms.
- The findings support considering immunotherapy with both mugwort and ragweed pollen extracts for co-sensitized patients.
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